Pharmacy technician Job Skills

Pharmacy Technician Job Overview

Pharmacy technicians handle many of the day-to-day tasks of filling prescriptions and maintaining a clean, safe, and efficient pharmacy. Job duties may include:

Keeping drugs properly stored

Verifying information on prescriptions

Answering telephones

Filling prescription bottles

Answering basic questions from customers

Helping customers locate items

Filing filled prescriptions

Retrieving filled prescriptions for customer pick-up

Receiving incoming supplies and verifying quantities

Mixing intravenous solutions under pharmacist supervision

Processing medical insurance forms

Stocking items in the pharmacy

Pharmacy technicians work under the direct supervision of a pharmacist. They may work in hospitals, drug stores, or clinics. Some pharmacy technicians also work for mail-order companies and fill orders but do not interact directly with patients.

Pharmacy Technician Job Education Requirements

There are no certification requirements for pharmacy technicians in Canada, but most employers prefer to hire workers who have passed the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) certification exam. Eligibility criteria for the evaluating exam include at least 2,000 hours of work or teaching experience in the last three years. You can skip the evaluating exam and proceed directly to the qualifying examinations if you have completed a Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Program (CCAPP), completed an accredited pharmacist degree program, or taken another qualifying examination.

Pharmacy Technician Job Market

The job outlook for health technicians, such as pharmacy technicians, is moderate in most areas. Job growth is particularly strong in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon. The outlook is fair in Ontario. Though expected job growth is strong, there are also high levels of unemployment in this occupation.

Pharmacy Technician Job Salary Information

Pharmacy technicians fall under the employment category of other assisting occupations in support of health services. The median hourly wage for these occupations is C$17.25 in Canada. On average, wages range from a high of C$26 to a low of C$11.88.